I used to be able to crack my neck really loudly. Over the years, it just stopped cracking. Same deal with my knuckles. Could pop and crack them at least 3 different ways, but now they won't crack at all and it actually hurts if I try to crack them.

I always argue with my wife over whether or not it is bad for you. Many doctors say yes, others say no.

Kind of just skimmed the article but I have read others on the subject, specifically a study conducted years ago by the Canadian Ministry of Health or whatever they have up there.

The key word is "violent" as in violent neck manipulations, the kind where the chiropractor forcefully and violently twists your neck beyond where most people could on their own. This can pinch arteries and potentially cause a scab or clot to form and travel to the brain.

Just casually cracking or popping your neck was not found to cause problems, at least in that study.

Electric_Banana:I used to be able to crack my neck really loudly. Over the years, it just stopped cracking. Same deal with my knuckles. Could pop and crack them at least 3 different ways, but now they won't crack at all and it actually hurts if I try to crack them.

I always argue with my wife over whether or not it is bad for you. Many doctors say yes, others say no CNN Says yes. St. Pete Times Looking for chads -OR- "hello, I am write single to salute and wait for answer again.

Electric_Banana:I used to be able to crack my neck really loudly. Over the years, it just stopped cracking. Same deal with my knuckles. Could pop and crack them at least 3 different ways, but now they won't crack at all and it actually hurts if I try to crack them.

I always argue with my wife over whether or not it is bad for you. Many doctors say yes, others say no.

Whenever we argue with their wife or GF, it doesn't matter if we are right or not. We are always "wrong." I've had this same conversation several times with my girlfriend.

Electric_Banana:I used to be able to crack my neck really loudly. Over the years, it just stopped cracking. Same deal with my knuckles. Could pop and crack them at least 3 different ways, but now they won't crack at all and it actually hurts if I try to crack them.

I always argue with my wife over whether or not it is bad for you. Many doctors say yes, others say no.

It is not bad, and a scientist cracked the knuckles on only one hand every day for something like 20 years to prove it.

onestr8:Kind of just skimmed the article but I have read others on the subject, specifically a study conducted years ago by the Canadian Ministry of Health or whatever they have up there.

The key word is "violent" as in violent neck manipulations, the kind where the chiropractor forcefully and violently twists your neck beyond where most people could on their own. This can pinch arteries and potentially cause a scab or clot to form and travel to the brain.

Just casually cracking or popping your neck was not found to cause problems, at least in that study.

Given the association between neck cracking and stroke, however inconclusive, why risk it?

I would write her a nice e-mail about relative risk factors and the basics of how science handles correlations and reliability calculations to explain this to her, but then I realized that this is a woman that wrote an entire article based around taking chiropracty seriously and didn't even realize that half the responses from real doctors were making fun of her.

So, given she's probably got to use the entirety of her brain-power to read and breathe at the same time, I suppose I shouldn't bother.

//Surprised she got as many serious answers as she did, she must not have mentioned the Chiropracty bit when she called in with her silly question.

I haven't popped my neck/hands since I left school. My body felt much better when I wasn't taking notes or doing assignments all farking day. I still pop my back occasionally but that is because I carry my stress in my lower back and shoulder blades.

Gotta love a branch of 'medicine' whose wiki article has the disclaimer "there's no evidence that this actually works" in the intro paragraph. Like, not even hidden at the bottom, just right there at the beginning.

I had read a story about a guy that cracked his neck hard, you know hand on your chin to make sure you turn your head as far as possible. did it fast and violent and ended up tearing open an artery or something and died on the way to the hospital.

fluffy2097:Electric_Banana: I used to be able to crack my neck really loudly. Over the years, it just stopped cracking. Same deal with my knuckles. Could pop and crack them at least 3 different ways, but now they won't crack at all and it actually hurts if I try to crack them.

I always argue with my wife over whether or not it is bad for you. Many doctors say yes, others say no.

It is not bad, and a scientist cracked the knuckles on only one hand every day for something like 20 years to prove it.

angry_scientist:Electric_Banana: I used to be able to crack my neck really loudly. Over the years, it just stopped cracking. Same deal with my knuckles. Could pop and crack them at least 3 different ways, but now they won't crack at all and it actually hurts if I try to crack them.

I always argue with my wife over whether or not it is bad for you. Many doctors say yes, others say no CNN Says yes. St. Pete Times Looking for chads -OR- "hello, I am write single to salute and wait for answer again. FTFY

I've asked a doctors over the years and I always get a different answer. Some say yes, others say no.

redmid17:Electric_Banana: I used to be able to crack my neck really loudly. Over the years, it just stopped cracking. Same deal with my knuckles. Could pop and crack them at least 3 different ways, but now they won't crack at all and it actually hurts if I try to crack them.

I always argue with my wife over whether or not it is bad for you. Many doctors say yes, others say no.

Whenever we argue with their wife or GF, it doesn't matter if we are right or not. We are always "wrong." I've had this same conversation several times with my girlfriend.

Broom:babysealclubber: I'm sorry, but I don't find a complication that happens in less than 1% of cases to be a bad.Cool! Would you mind holding this radioactive sample for me? Only 0.95% of people who do this develop cancer in their hands.

FTGDFA:When you put the liquid under pressure, as happens when force is applied to the joint, the gas exits, creating a pop sound, explained Dr. Stephen Perle, a chiropractor and Professor of Clinical Sciences at the University of Bridgeport.

That's odd. I thought pressure was what kept gasses is solution, and releasing the pressure releases the gas.

Also, U of B, a private school that rejects less than half of its applicants, has recently grown to almost 5,324 students, with incoming GPA's averaging an astounding 2.8 and a 6-year graduation rate of 32%! And only half of its freshmen flunk out! One of its most famous alums is the guy who tried to car bomb Times Square. So there's that...

babysealclubber:Broom: babysealclubber: I'm sorry, but I don't find a complication that happens in less than 1% of cases to be a bad.Cool! Would you mind holding this radioactive sample for me? Only 0.95% of people who do this develop cancer in their hands.

That is totally the same thing.

Does holding the radioactive sample make me feel better? Or are you asking me to take on a measured risk without a corresponding percieved benefit.

Or were you going for the "totally different" definition of "That is toally the same thing"?

Put one hand on your chin.Hold the container in your other hand and place it on the back of your head.Turn your head quickly like you are cracking your neck.At the same time crush the container.Collapse to the ground.Twitch a bit if you want.

Put one hand on your chin.Hold the container in your other hand and place it on the back of your head.Turn your head quickly like you are cracking your neck.At the same time crush the container.Collapse to the ground.Twitch a bit if you want.

Now imagine forcing all that. You can grind the crap out of your gears when you drive, it doesn't make it a good thing to do.

Secondly, Mom was a Healthcare Services dispatcher. Every six months, she'd field special care delivery to one or two people turned into quadriplegics from chiropracters violently twisting their necks.

babysealclubber:meanmutton: kungfu jesus with a side of lime: zero. is the answer zero bads

Why don't people like reading articles?

I'm sorry, but I don't find a complication that happens in less than 1% of cases to be a bad.

Less than 1 in 100 is pretty good odds as far as medical complications go. An injury to the vertebral artery is a pretty devastating complication though. If there is no demonstrable benefit to the patient, why take on that risk?

So, if there is a probability of something happening we can say the chances of it happening are 1%. But if the possibility has occured the chances of it having occured are 100%.

The chances of this guy understanding probability are 75%, or in this case 0%

What he is trying to say is that there is a very low chance of a serious injury as a result of a cervical manipulation, but it will happen to someone. If that someone happens to be you, have fun counting to potato and wearing a diaper for the rest of your life.

Znuh:Secondly, Mom was a Healthcare Services dispatcher. Every six months, she'd field special care delivery to one or two people turned into quadriplegics from chiropracters violently twisting their necks.

Yes, but as the article utterly failed to distinguish, there is a substantial difference between casually cracking your neck and having your body violently thrashed about by a quack with a picture of a spine on his or her wall.

reimanr06:babysealclubber: meanmutton: kungfu jesus with a side of lime: zero. is the answer zero bads

Why don't people like reading articles?

I'm sorry, but I don't find a complication that happens in less than 1% of cases to be a bad.

Less than 1 in 100 is pretty good odds as far as medical complications go. An injury to the vertebral artery is a pretty devastating complication though. If there is no demonstrable benefit to the patient, why take on that risk?

reimanr06:babysealclubber: meanmutton: kungfu jesus with a side of lime: zero. is the answer zero bads

Why don't people like reading articles?

I'm sorry, but I don't find a complication that happens in less than 1% of cases to be a bad.

Less than 1 in 100 is pretty good odds as far as medical complications go. An injury to the vertebral artery is a pretty devastating complication though. If there is no demonstrable benefit to the patient, why take on that risk?

I had a stroke due to to a vertebral artery tear (dissection). Doctors couldn't point to a cause, other than undetermined trauma, perhaps even as minor as a violent sneeze. Had to basically learn how to walk again, and a few years later I have very few deficits. But I was lucky.

For something as elective as chiropractic, I would never accept even a small amount of risk of what happened to me.

So, if there is a probability of something happening we can say the chances of it happening are 1%. But if the possibility has occured the chances of it having occured are 100%.

The chances of this guy understanding probability are 75%, or in this case 0%

I think what he's saying is 1% sounds like a really small risk and you might decide that's an acceptable risk, until you turn out to be the 1% and you realise... okay, the risk was not worth the gain because NOW I'M FREAKING PARALYSED FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE when a nice massage would have had a better outcome for lower risk (there's still a risk of stroke with strong neck massage).

In one of my past lives I dealt with medical error. Everyone accepts the risk until they end up being that 1%. Then they flip the fark out and want sue anyone standing nearby. And I mean even in the case of minor medical "error' like completely normal post-operative infections, or prosthetic failure.

Also this:

"We know that spinal manipulation causes stimulation of areas of the brain that block pain, changes the function of the muscles that help support the spine and changes the flexibility of motion segments in the spine," "Exercises can help loosen the muscles and other treatments can help with pain, but the flexibility of the joint -- that's uniquely aided by manipulation."

is one of the stupidest pseudo-medical things I have ever read.

Your spine is made of bone, cartilage (discs), nerves, muscles and ligaments. What on god's green earth does "cracking" the neck do to CHANGE THE FUNCTION OF YOUR MUSCLES. You didn't tear the ligament off and reattach it elsewhere. What did you do to increase flexibility? You can't do anything for the bone or cartilage without surgically shaving bits off. So you gave the ligament and muscle a yank? Great. Have a massage instead, much safer.

So, if there is a probability of something happening we can say the chances of it happening are 1%. But if the possibility has occured the chances of it having occured are 100%.

The chances of this guy understanding probability are 75%, or in this case 0%

I think what he's saying is 1% sounds like a really small risk and you might decide that's an acceptable risk, until you turn out to be the 1% and you realise... okay, the risk was not worth the gain because NOW I'M FREAKING PARALYSED FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE when a nice massage would have had a better outcome for lower risk (there's still a risk of stroke with strong neck massage).

In one of my past lives I dealt with medical error. Everyone accepts the risk until they end up being that 1%. Then they flip the fark out and want sue anyone standing nearby. And I mean even in the case of minor medical "error' like completely normal post-operative infections, or prosthetic failure.

Also this:

"We know that spinal manipulation causes stimulation of areas of the brain that block pain, changes the function of the muscles that help support the spine and changes the flexibility of motion segments in the spine," "Exercises can help loosen the muscles and other treatments can help with pain, but the flexibility of the joint -- that's uniquely aided by manipulation."

is one of the stupidest pseudo-medical things I have ever read.

Your spine is made of bone, cartilage (discs), nerves, muscles and ligaments. What on god's green earth does "cracking" the neck do to CHANGE THE FUNCTION OF YOUR MUSCLES. You didn't tear the ligament off and reattach it elsewhere. What did you do to increase flexibility? You can't do anything for the bone or cartilage without surgically shaving bits off. So you gave the ligament and muscle a yank? Great. Have a massage instead, much safer.

Sorry for the massive quote, but I'm on my phone.While I agree with your post in general, I can understand what that guy (fta) is saying. The range of motion of a joint can be limited by a number of factors- stiffening of the ligaments, arthritic adhesions, scar tissue, etc. I can see how these limiters could be addressed by manipulation. Is it so much more effective than stretching to warrant a risk of stroke? Seems doubtful. It certainly has its place for large joints like shoulders and knees. I do know that massage alone is not going fix a frozen joint. Don't decry one type of pseudomedicine just to substitute another.